Clamp



G. E. HUSTED Apl zo, 194s.

CLAMPS Filed Jan. 24, 1941 |||l|| IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII Patented Apr. 20, 1943 A l,UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

The present invention relates to improvements in clamps, and has particular reference to furniture clamps adapted to hold a plurality of boards in clamped relation.

The principal object of my invention is to provide a clamp of the character described that is easy to use, comparatively simple in construction, and does away with certain short-comings of tools conventionally used at the present time for the same purpose.

Tools of this character usually involve a comparatively long guide member and a pair of jaws mounted relative thereto, so as'to be adjustable for tightening upon the objects to be clamped.

The usual drive means employed is a worm or screw, but since this drive operates very slowly, it is convenient to provide a means whereby quick adjustments may be made to bring the jaws into approximately correct relation with respect to the objects to be clamped before the worm drive is used for the nal clamping action.

It is proposed in the present invention to provide a clamp of the character described wherein one jaw member is fixed with respect to the guide member, while the other jaw may be advanced on the guide through a worm drive, but is releasably connected t the latter to permit of rapid movement for initial adjustments of the spacing between the jaws.

It is further proposed to provide a relasable connection between the movable jaw member and the worm or screw, which may be released so readily by manual operation that the releasing movement becomes practically a part of the movement necessary to advance the jaw and no conscious eiort is required to effect the release, while the jaw automatically reengages with the screw as soon as manually released.

Further objects and advantages of my invention will appear as the specification proceeds and the novel features thereof will be dened in the claim hereto attached.

The preferred form of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 shows a top plan view of my clamp, with the central portion broken away;

Figure 2, a side elevation thereof; and

Figure 3, an enlarged sectional view taken along line 3-3 of Figure 1.

While I have shown only the preferred form of my invention, I wish to have it understood that various changes or modifications of my invention may be made within the scope of the claim hereto appended, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Referring to the drawing in detail, my clamp I comprises a guide 2, made in the form of a tube, and two jaws 3 and 4 mounted with respect thereto. The jaw 3 is preferably threaded or otherwise permanently secured to one end of the tube, as shown at 5. This jaw is held in xed relation to the tube, which latter is formed with a longitudinal slot 6 extending in line with the jaw, fro-m a point near thereof throughout the length of the tube, and has a plug 'I at the opposite end thereof.

A screw 3 extends substantially throughout the length of the tube and is supported in bearings 9 and IIJ in the jaw and the plug, respectively. The screw is held against endwise motion by the jaw and the plug and has a shank II extending through the jaw to receive a handle I2 by means of which the screw may be manipulated. The handle is secured to the shank by a set screw I3.

The movable jaw is carried by a sleeve I4 which is slidable on the tube, and the forward section of which has a plate I5 fixed thereto by a rivet I6 to ride in the slot 6 and to hold the sleeve against turning movement on the tube. The sleeve extends, in its forward portion, clear aroundthe tube, and bears on the upper surface thereof on opposite sides of the slot, so as to be irmly held against tilting movement and to have a smooth, sliding t on the tube.

The sleeve has two spaced ears I'I projecting therefrom in parallel relation, along opposite sides of the slot 6, and the rear section of the sleeve is formed with a slot I8, which lines up with the slot 6 in the tube.

The jaw 4 is pivotally supported between the Vears I1 by a pin I9, in opposing and confronting relation to the jaw 5. It has a rearward extension 20, which projects through the slots I8 and 6 and has a bottom face 2| running parallel to the screw and formed with threads engageable with the screw threads. A spring 22 secured to the top of the front section of the sleeve by the rivet I6 projects into a notch 23 arranged above the extension and tends to urge the latter into engagement with the screw.

It will be readily seen that disengagement of the movable jaw from the screw may be easily effected by manual pressure on the upper face of the jaw such as would be almost automatically brought to bear by a person gripping the jaw with the intent of moving the same.

The full length of the tube is not shown, but it should be understood that the tube may be of considerable length, say three or four feet or more.

The manner of using my invention should be readily understood from the foregoing description.

After a plurality of boards have been properly positioned for clamping, the operator may place the xed jaw against one of the faces to be clamped, and with one quick movement may move the other jaw to Within close proximity of the opposite face to be clamped. This movement is eiected by the mereV gripping of the jaw and the sleeve for disengaging the thread of the jaw from the screw and advancing the sleeve in the desired direction.

After the movable jaw has reached a position of approximate adjustment, the operator releases the same, whereupon the threads automatically re-engage, due to the action of the spring 22.

The operator may now firmly clamp the objects together by operation of the handle,

Y screw.

I claim:

In a clamp of the character described, a jaw' mounting for a tube having a narrow, elongated slot in the upper surface thereof and having a screw mounted therein, the jaw mounting comprising a sleeve slidable on the tube and bearing on the surface of the latter to the edges of the slot for holding the sleeve againsttilting movement and for insuring a smooth riding t, a pair of ears projecting from the front section of the sleeve on opposite sides of the slot, a jaw member having pivotal support between the ears .and having a rear extension adapted to be received in the slot with a threaded portion adapt-V ed for engagement with the screw, the jaw member having a notch Where the rear extension joins the front section, and a leaf spring having one end secured upon the sleeve between the ears and extending into the notch for urging said threaded portion into engagement with the GEORGE EDDIEI HUSTED. 

